The US has confirmed it hopes to use $230m of its $300m military funding to Pakistan on upgrading the country's F-16 fighter jets.

A report in the New York Times said some US Congressmen were dismayed, saying the jets did not help counter-terrorism operations.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino confirmed the upgrade but insisted the jets were for counter-terrorism use.

The move is sure to anger Pakistan's key rival India, analysts say.

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Pakistan tests ballistic missile ... Times reported that the timing of the move had caught legislators off guard.

Some believed it might be linked to the visit to Washington next week of new Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the Times said.

Speaking later on Thursday, Ms Perino said: "The F-16s that they [Pakistan] have are used in counter-terrorism operations. We made them available to the Pakistanis and they need to be maintained."

She said Pakistan was under financial pressure because of rising food and other prices.

In 2007, US lawmakers specified that military funding to Pakistan should be for counter-terrorism or law enforcement.

The New York Times said the planes had rarely been used in counter-terror operations but quoted state department officials as saying the upgrades would enhance the jets' capacity to hit insurgents accurately.

(BBC)

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